As I mentioned in my previous post, I was really willing to go Cosplay hunting and the best place to go was Harajuku. I got on the train from Akihabara in order to reach my next destination. When I arrived in Harajuku and left from the main exit, I looked around and I saw a foot bridge on my right. At the time I didn’t across that bridge, I just acrossed the road at the traffic light. I looked around a little and then saw a street where a large number of people were walking into. I decided to go there and see what that street was all about.

Shops….shops…..shops…..

That street was packed of people and at the entrance of that street there was a sign telling the name of that street: Takeshita Street (or it can be called in Japanese ‘Takeshita-Dori’). Takeshita-Dori seemed very exciting, even though there were many ‘gaijin’ (foreiners), however, the most of the people were still Japanese.

Picture 1 – Entrance of Takeshita Street (Takeshita-dori)

Walking down that street I saw a moltitude of clothes shops. I didn’t enter in any of the shops there but I could see that some shops were more specialised in cosplay costumes, but only a handful of them. The most of them were just normal shops selling just normal clothes and shoes, and of course there was also a McDonald’s.

Picture 2 – McDonalds and crowd inside Takeshita-Dori

I did not manage to see a single cosplayer in costume. I was a little disappointed by that but I was still pleased to be in Tokyo, and I soon forgot about looking for cosplay.

Nice Atmosphere

Even though I didn’t see any cosplay, the street itself was crowded with people and made me feel good. It had a nice atmosphere. This is probably because I wasn’t used to quiet places and I always loved been in busy places.

The street was not even. As soon as the ‘Takeshit Street’ sign is passed, the street goes down hill for a little while and then goes flat again. Some of the shops were owned (I think) by foreigners (even though I’m not Japanese myself), however, the street still have that Japanese atmosphere.

Picture 3 – Japanese FeelingPicture 4 – Feeling in Japan

I walked up and down the street few times because I liked it and there was a shop that attracted me from the outside because of the clothes they sold, some kind of 17th/18th century costumes. I didn’t go inside that shop, I don’t know why, maybe because I was a bit shy to go inside.

Picture 5 – Body Line, the shop selling 17th/18th century clothes

Cross Over

At the end of the street there was a large road and I could see across the road some big high street apparel brands. The shops seemed quite new. On the right, without acrossing the road I noticed a Starbucks and then I decided to stop for a few minutes, bought and drunk a cappuccino and then left for my next adventure.

*Photos 2, 3, 4 and 5 have been taken on the same day but later in the evening when I went back to Takeshita-Dori from Shibuya for taking more photos.